• Source:JND
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Google's Gmail account is a service used widely for its ease of usability and features. In some cases, there are accounts that people forget to use. Sometimes, they might get compromised, and users might be unable to use the account for an extended time. And to wipe away these accounts, the company will start deleting them next month.

According to The Keyword blog, the updated policy for inactive accounts stands at two years across Google's product line. The company noted that if an account remains unused for two years, it may be deleted. The content of Workspace apps shall be removed from the associated account.

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The changes apply to personal Google Accounts only. "The earliest we will begin deleting [inactive] accounts is December 2023," Google said in an earlier blog post. In the first phase, the accounts that "were created and never used" shall be wiped away. Before taking this step, the company will share multiple notifications to the affected accounts via email.

If you wish to keep your account active, you can sign in at least once in two years. The activity includes accessing emails, and Google Drive, watching YouTube videos, downloading apps from the Play Store, Search and sign-in to third-party services.

You must sign in to your Google account once every two years to keep your account active. (Image:Unsplash)

If a subscription service is active via the account, it is considered active. Plus, the company notes that accounts having YouTube videos shall remain unaffected "at this time". Additionally, Google clarified that users must sign in to Photos separately every two years to save their content from deletion.

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For those who wish to close their account, Google offers a Takeout feature to download and export data. Secondly, they can use the Inactive Account Manager to decide the next step for accounts that remain inactive for 18 months. The available options include sending content to a trusted contact, using a Gmail autoresponder and deleting the account.